The Shroud Of Destiny
by Jamie L. Vaughan
Summary: PT Era: AU or EU. What if Anakin wasn't the only Jedi destined for a path to the dark side? Célia Nasari, just one of many who becomes sucked up into the Emperor's evil plan to control the galaxy. What is her role in his game? Can she choose her fate? R
1. Part 1: Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _**Okay, so this is my very first attempt at writing a star wars fan fic. I've been working on this story for months now, with research and story writing, so I hope that readers enjoy the effort. It was originallygoing to be a Phantom of the Opera/Star Wars crossover...well that plan kind of fell through. There are definately elements still left in the story of the crossover but the story as written is entirely Star Wars. Some Phantom elements are still in it and phans will definately be able to see that. But I don't see it as being a crossover anymore.  
**_

_**While my fic probably would be considered AU, since it will center around original characters. I kind of feel that it could be considered almost EU. Canon characters will be heavily featured in this, and I have done a lot of research to make this as accurate to movie canon as my plotline will allow. I didn't want to make this be something that is thrown together, since I know that Star Wars fans would not want to see something like that. I as a writer wouldn't want to write something like that. **_

_**So, enough of my blabbing, and lets get down to business. I thought that since, music plays such an important part in the Star Wars films, that I'd recommend at the beginning of each chapter songs from the soundtracks that I feel really fit in with the mood I'm displaying. Corny I know, but I thought it would be something fun. As with any story, reviews are greatly appreciated, especially constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to tell me what you think. ;)  
**_

**Disclaimer:** _**Entire Star Wars Galaxy property of George Lucas and Lucasfilms. Star Wars music property of John Williams. All original characters property of Jamie L. Vaughan.**_

**Recommend Music:**

**_Mos Eisley Spaceport - A New Hope Soundtrack_**

**_The Queen Confronts Nute & Rune - _****_Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack_**

**_Anakin, Podracer Mechanic - _****_Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack_**

**_

* * *

_**

**Part 1 - Attack Of The Clones **

**Chapter 1  
**

_Much learning does not teach understanding._

_-Heraclitus_

The loud crackling buzz of lightsaber against lightsaber filled the Training Center. The bright flashes of blue light seemed to fly through the air with increasing speed after every subsequent swing. The two opponents oblivious to everything but the matter at hand. Their movements a sort of violent dance as they quickly moved across the floor.

While to one not of the Order it looked like a true battle of Jedi versus Jedi; in reality it was a training exercise in lightsaber skills. The two young padawans "performed" for their masters who watched intently, their every move, in the spectator area of the mini-arena. The two padawans providing the spectacle: Célia Nasari, a native of Naboo, and Anakin Skywalker, the famed slave boy from Tatooine. It wasn't the first time the two had been opponents, each being students of Lightsaber Form IV and both nearly equal to each other in skill, saw them being paired together quite often. Fortunately due to their many years of friendship, it proved to be a very comfortable situation for them both.

Célia and Anakin mirrored each other's movements exactly. With every attack swing by one, the other matched it with a parry. They each held their own and neither backed down. From when they had started their first velocity, until now, beads of sweat had formed on their foreheads and their movements had begun to slow. They were on the tenth velocity sequence, the only end in sight being if one was felled or, out of sheer exhaustion, yielded in defeat. The latter of which rarely, if ever, happened between the two opponents.

A momentary pause in action.

Célia could feel her muscles screaming for her to rest. After nearly two hours of constant drills and fighting, giving up sounded like a reasonable idea. But her competitive spirit wouldn't allow her to do so, especially when her opponent was Anakin. They had been paired together in velocities for years and she still had yet to beat him. She hoped, by the look of exhaustion on his face, that perhaps it would finally be the day.

The dull, almost rhythmic, hums of their lightsabers provided a sort of accompaniment to their intermission. They slowly circled each other, Célia trying to use the Force to anticipate Anakin's next move. She watched him, determination in her eyes, as he flashed her a sarcastic smile. Taking advantage of what she felt was a weakness, she quickly swung for his legs. Almost instinctively Anakin did a _Sai_ to evade her attack. She had expected him to come right down, but instead he flipped right over her head. Before she could turn around to defend herself, he knocked her to the ground from behind, subsequentially knocking the lightsaber from her hand. Before Célia had time to retrieve her lightsaber through the Force, Anakin had his lightsaber pointed to her chest. Célia had been defeated, again.

"Solah!" She reluctantly stated, breathing in heavily from exhaustion. Anakin's blue eyes grew even brighter at the sound of her verbal defeat. Célia just glared at him in annoyance. The sounds of clapping from the Jedi broke the silence.

"Very good!" Master Nha-Dek exclaimed as Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. The two Jedi stood, making their way over to their padawans. Anakin turned off his lightsaber, and clipped it to his belt. He then offered his hand to Célia.

"I thought you were going to beat me?" He said, his blue eyes and wide smirk reinforcing the sarcastic remark. She took his offered assistance rather unwillingly. When she was standing on her own two feet, she called her lightsaber over to her, the hilt flew across the room and into her awaiting hand.

"I will Anakin, you can count on that." She stated, clipping the lightsaber onto her belt, "You can't win every time." Her words were full of conviction, but the playful smile on her face downplayed the severity of them.

"We'll see." He answered shaking her hand.

"Well Anakin, for a moment there I was sure Célia was going to have beaten you." Obi-Wan Kenobi stated, patting his young padawan on the shoulder.

"Master, you don't have enough faith in me."

"And you don't provide enough encouragement for your fellow padawan." Obi-Wan gestured to the petite, redhead in front of them.

"Thank you Master Obi-Wan." Célia gratefully responded with a respectful bow before giving Anakin a smirk.

"Yes, one of the closest velocities I've witnessed out of the both of you." Master Nha-Dek said, folding his arms. "Though I believe you both need to learn that it is not about who wins. The purpose of these exercises is to improve your lightsaber skills as well as to learn from your mistakes."

"Yes, Master." Both padawans answered simultaneously. The competition between them was not as "severe" as their masters had no doubt thought. It was more in jest, due to their close friendship, than by an actually need to be better than the other.

"I agree with Master Nha-Dek. You have both been making similar mistakes each time you train. You both try to manipulate the Force to have it do exactly what you want it to do." Obi-Wan explained, "You need to remember that the Force flows through you, it becomes an extension of yourself. By relying on solely the "power" of it to help you is only creating an obstacle. You both rely on either your own strength and agility or the "power" of the Force, more so than on what you can achieve through harmony with the Force."

"Yes, Master." Anakin responded, putting his head down in slight frustration and disappointment. Célia knew that Anakin could easily become frustrated. After two hours of training, the last thing Célia wanted to hear was lectures on what they had done wrong. She was sure that Anakin felt the same way.

"Thank you, Master Obi-Wan. I'm sure that for next time we'll both improve on our weaknesses." Célia smiled politely, and put a friendly arm around her older friend. Anakin looked down at her with a thankful expression on his face.

"Aside from what Master Obi-Wan has said; I'd say that you are both coming into your own quite exceptionally. Form IV is not the easiest form to master. It requires great speed, agility and power. It took me time to be able to master it and you have both already surpassed many of the current padawans learning it. So you should find some happiness in that fact." Master Nha-Dek praised them, warmly smiling at his two students. Aside from being Célia's own Master, he was also one of the Form IV instructors.

"I whole-heartily agree." Obi-Wan beamed, "Now I think that-" He suddenly stopped and looked over towards the door. The other three Jedi, sensing the same thing, did the same. The door quitely opened and the serene form of Master Depa Billaba stepped into the Training Center.

"Obi-Wan, the council wishes to speak with you and your padawan immediately."

"Oh! Yes, of course. If you'll excuse us, Master Hafiz. Célia." Obi-Wan said, bowing and quickly making his way over to the awaiting Jedi.

"Master. Célia." Anakin said, mimicking his own Master's bow, but giving a friendly grin to Célia. The two Jedi watched as Obi-Wan and Anakin were escorted out of the Center by Master Billaba. The room was silent for quite some time before Nha-Dek spoke.

"You were in good form today, Célia." He smiled, looking down at her, his face softer than it usually was.

"Thank you, Master." It made her happy when her Master was pleased with her. But a sudden feeling in the Force wouldn't let her linger on it for too long.

"Is something wrong?" He put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him to see his face filled with an almost fatherly concern. Over the past few months it seemed that Célia's feeling in the Force had begun to grow. She felt changes as if something was going to happen, but it was only for brief instances, then it would disappear, and would stay gone for hours or even weeks at a time before the feeling returned.

"It's nothing. I'm just kind of tired." She walked over to the spectator area and sat. Nha-Dek followed her. Master Nha-Dek was a very well-respected Jedi in the order and , like the case with nearly all masters and their padawans, had become a sort of father figure to Célia during her time as his padawan. A padawan could only be so lucky to be under the instruction of someone as wise in the Force as Nha-Dek was. Before her he had successfully trained two Jedi and was in talks to be elected onto the Council in the near future.

However over the years she found some of his methods of teaching too reserved; inwardly feeling as though he wasn't allowing her to excel as much as she knew she could. Unlike other padawans, Célia found a slight inability to discuss things with her Master. In the past she had often gotten in trouble with the Council for various activities she shouldn't have been involved in. Master Nha-Dek was usually the one who ended up reporting her. She knew that it was only so she would become a better Jedi, however it made her less trusting as to telling him things that he might tell the Council. She would often seek out her friends for advice when problems arose.

"I have noticed that for a while now you have seemed...distracted." He began, Célia just looked down at her hands, as she ran her fingers over the grey fabric of her Jedi robes. "Remember what happened on Jabim? You were fortunate."

Two months earlier, they had been on a small mission to try and convince the leaders that the embargo on raw ores that they had with a Separatist planet was in violation of Republic law. The peace mission turned violent when a small group of Jabiimites attacked the two Jedi. Célia had nearly gotten herself killed when one of them had unexpectedly attacked her from behind.

"I'm sorry if I have disappointed you, Master." She said softly. Célia attempted to look up, but her shame wouldn't allow herself to look directly at him.

"I'm not." He paused as if trying to find the correct words. "I just believe that. . .You are still young Célia and can be easily influenced."

Célia continued to avert his eyes. She knew the point he was trying to make. They had had similar conversations before, and she didn't want to relive it again.

"Master, I respect your opinion, but-"

"I just don't want to see you make similar mistakes when I know you have learned self-control to avoid them." Célia could feel his burning into her for an answer, for her to agree with him.

"Yes, Master." A silence hung over the room. Célia's nervous, unsteady breathing seeming to make the only noise.

"I should probably go to my room now." She said, attempting to break free from the tension. But before she could stand, Master Nha-Dek put his hands on her small shoulders and turned her towards him.

"I just want to know if there is anything you need to speak with me about." She looked up at him, unsure of what to tell him. Célia searched for the words to say, only becoming more unsure with the growing concern on his face. The seconds felt like an eternity, and Célia was feeling more uneasy with each passing one.

"I won't make you tell me." He said finally. Guilt started to flow through her and she wondered if perhaps he had read her thoughts. "But just know, that you can." He put a hand on her knee, then slowly stood.

"Yes, Master." Célia answered. She sat and watched as he began to walk away. Before he reached the door she called out to stop him.

"Master!" He turned towards her. "What do you want me to do?" He gave her a smile, and once again put on the authoritative demeanor, of a Master, that he was known for.

"Meditate on what we talked about. Perhaps we can discuss it later?" He said, a small glimmer of hope lighting up his eyes. Célia offered him a small smile.

"Yes, Master." And with those words he nodded towards her and left.

* * *

That evening, after Célia had made a visit to the cafeteria, she went to the temple's hangar bay, as it was the usual place to find Anakin. However, seeing that he wasn't there, she decided to pass the time by working on modifications to an installer droid that she had been building with Anakin. The two had been working together for weeks modifying a starfighter that Anakin and Obi-Wan frequently used on missions. It was a passion of Anakin that, through Célia's friendship with him, she had picked up herself. 

It was nearly an hour from when she started, before Anakin finally showed.

"I was wondering where you were." Célia said, watching as the young man came closer and took a seat next to her.

"Master Obi-Wan was keeping me busy." He answered, watching intently as Célia continued working on the droid. "Can I see it?" He asked, snatching it from her hand before she could even respond.

"I think it's just about done." Célia said, watching Anakin curiously as he looked over the object in his hands.

"Hmm."

"What?" She asked eagerly. Anakin didn't answer, but the concern in his face grew.

"Anakin, what is it?" She asked again, unsure as to why he wasn't saying much. After a few moments of continued silence, Célia pressed him further.

"Anakin!"

He calmly looked up, acting as if he hadn't heard her the first two times.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Well," Anakin began, moving closer towards her. "You see this here." He said, holding up the droid closer to her and point to the testing probe.

"Yes, what about it?" Since Anakin was such a skilled mechanic, he'd often see the smallest problems in things that she helped him build that would go compeltely unnoticed to the normal person. He was an absolute perfectionist when it came to almost anything, but he was even more so when he was working on machinery.

"Well, " He gave a small chuckle, "I think that you installed it backwards."

"What? No, I didn't!" She exclaimed, taking the droid from his hands to examine it closer. She held the droid upright, looking intently on where she had put it together. Then she turned it upside down, looking at the same area. She didn't understand what he was talking about, from her at least semi-skilled eye, she could see nothing wrong with it.

"I don't see-"

Before Célia could even finish her sentence the droid suddenly spring to life in her hands. The grip pads on the sides of it came out, as did the signal receiver. In her surprise, Célia quickly let go over the droid, only to see that it was floating in mid-air. She looked over to see an innocent smile on Anakin's face.

"I swear I have never met someone so immature." She said, pushing his shoulder. A shocked expression on her face.

"And I've never met someone so gullible." He laughed, allowing the droid to glide into his hand.

"You know," Célia said getting up, and dusting the dust off of her tunic, "If Obi-Wan caught you doing that-"

"I know, I know." Anakin said, standing up and placing the droid on his workbench. "Come on, I'd like to try to get some work done on this tonight." He smiled, putting an arm around the small padawan and leading her over to where the starship was parked. Célia just looked up at him and shook her head.

* * *

_**Well, that was the first chapter. Kind of cut off there I know, but this chapter would have been really long otherwise. Just to be clear this story will NOT be Anakin/OC. I am a big Anakin/Padme fan, and I really can't see them with anyone else. So, anyways please tell me whether you liked it, hated it, whatever. :)**_


	2. Part 1: Chapter 2

**Author's Note: _Well here is the next chapter. I hope that those who have been reading so far will like it. Special thanks to my new beta, Li Young, for being amazingly awesome and taking time out of her life to point out all of my flaws to me. :D_**

**Disclaimer:******_**Entire Star Wars Galaxy property of George Lucas and Lucasfilms. Star Wars music property of John Williams. All original characters property of Jamie L. Vaughan.**_

**Recommend Music:**

_**Jar Jar's Run in with Sebulba - Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack**_

_**Padme Meets Anakin - Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack **_

_**Anakin's Home and the Introduction to Threepio - Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack  
**_

_**

* * *

**_**Part 1 - Attack Of The Clones**

**Chapter 2**

_The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy. _

_- Alfred North Whitehead _

The Temple's Hangar remained relatively inactive throughout the course of the evening. The Jedi starfighters that filled the large, beige room were only permitted to be used on Jedi missions and not for routine travel. Many of the ships were reserved exclusively for members of the Jedi council. A few were for those Jedi, like Obi-Wan and Anakin, who were frequently dispatched on missions across the galaxy. The ships remaining were for use by any other Jedi of the Order.

The council had numerous Astro droids for repairs and general maintenance of the Order's ships. However, Anakin took it upon himself to repair and upgrade his own starfighter. It provided him with an outlet for his frustration and allowed him to keep alive some small thread of his life before becoming a Jedi.

Inside the cockpit, Anakin sat tinkering with the wires and computer chips that made up the control panel. He was attempting to upgrade the visual scanner in order to receive more accurate readings when travelling through hyperspace. Célia sat outside on the wing of the ship, assisting Anakin with any tools that were out of his immediate reach. Though he had taught her some things about the nature of mechanics, Célia felt that she would rather watch Anakin work than trying to figure it out herself.

"I still can't believe he did that!" Anakin laughed, connecting together two wires.

"Neither can I! Of all the times to watch the Holonet." Célia began to giggle as she re-lived the incident in her head. "You should have seen Jocasta's face, it was priceless."

"I can imagine, but it's his own fault for taking it to class. I don't feel any remorse for the punishment she gave him, I know I would have done the same thing," Anakin said, connecting the exposed wires of the panel screen to a microchip.

"I know you would have. It's either Anakin's way or no way."

Anakin looked up from his work, a serious expression on his face. After a brief silence, he smiled, washing the stern expression off his face. He replied playfully, "Yeah, right, and you better remember that."

Célia cocked an eyebrow and threw a small screw she found laying next to her towards her cocky friend. Anakin moved out of the way long before it hit him.

"You know, that's not very Jedi!" he said in an authoritative tone. Célia just smiled, remembering when she had said those very same words to him once before; on the day they had first met.

* * *

_It had only been a few weeks after the infamous Battle of Naboo. In the few weeks (or days, whatever you want) following the battle, the Jedi Temple buzzed with the story of the slave boy from Tatooine. There wasn't a Jedi, young or old, that didn't know about Anakin Skywalker. Not only had this amazing youth assisted in the defeat of the Federation on Naboo, he was also rumored to be the Chosen One. When questioned about the validity of the gossip, the Council and Masters of the Order had neither confirmed nor denied the rumors. In the end their neutrality only fueled the boy's blossoming legend.__Anakin had come to the Temple many years after the traditional cut-off age, so the camaraderie that usually sprung from the training of Younglings in clans was something that he had missed out on. This, along with his natural talents in the Force, had ostracized him from Padawans his own age. Many Younglings had felt that Anakin was too important to associate with were all intimidated by his reputation. Many others simply gossiped their way around the truth and came to believe that Anakin had even declared himself the Chosen One in order to train at the Temple._

_Like all Younglings, Célia had been taught by Master Yoda that Jedi prophecy had predicted the coming of a Chosen One; a Force-user who would bring balance to the Force and peace to the Galaxy. Célia had always been intrigued by the prophecy. When speculation had begun that there may be Sith present in the Galaxy, the idea of the coming of the Chosen One was on the mind of many Jedi._

_With the arrival of Anakin and the tales of his heroism on Naboo, it was hard for Célia to deny the possibility that Anakin might actually be the Chosen One. She had hoped to talk with him and ask him things, especially about her home world of Naboo. But the uncertainty of Anakin's attitude towards his increasing fame, as well as the fact that she might not be even worthy enough to speak to the 'Chosen One', had kept Célia from achieving her goal. One day, when she accidentally stumbled across his room, she finally built up the courage to speak with him._

_"Hi," she said, timidly knocking in the doorway. Anakin had been playing with a small object when she softly interrupted him Standing awkwardly in his doorway, she silently hoped that he wouldn't be bothered by her small disturbance._

_Anakin looked up from the machine in his hand to the door with a look of slight annoyance. Seeing his immediate reaction, Célia slowly began to back away, a blush coming across her cheeks. She didn't even noticed that Anakin was coming towards her, until he was almost directly in front of her. Noticing he hadn't rebuked her for disturbing him, she looked up and found him smiling at her._

_"I'm not going to bite you," Anakin said, seeing her nervousness. He then extended his hand out to her in a friendly gesture. A small sense of relief and comfort suddenly swept over her and she slowly shaken his hand._

_"I hope not," Célia said laughing, as Anakin joined in with her._

_"I'm Anakin Skywalker, what's your name?"_

_"Célia Nasari."_

_"Célia, that's very pretty," he said, pushing up the sleeves of his tan tunic._

_"Thanks, I like your name too!" Célia smiled and looked passed Anakin and into his room, her past apprehension completely gone. "Your room is bigger than mine...I think."_

_She stepped into the room a little more. All Jedi were given his or her own sleeping quarters in the Temple. Each room contained the basic amenities;: bed, closet, and refresher. When the Padwan got older they were moved to a slightly bigger room which also contained a counter for food and other storage._

_Célia's eyes wandered around the enclosed space. Pieces of scrap metal, wires, tools, screws and other items lay on the counter space, as well as on the floor. She then noticed the small object that he had been playing with before she came in._

_"What's that?" she asked, running over to it and picking it up._

_"It's a recorder droid," he said, following her into the room. "It's not done yet."_

_"Oh...Who made it?"_

_"I did."_

_"Really?" she exclaimed, her mouth open in shock._

_"Yup." He smiled at her bewilderment and his own achievement._

_"What are you going to do with?" Célia asked, looking at it in all different directions. She was trying to figure out how it worked, let alone how Anakin had made it._

_"Well," Anakin began, shifting the droid in Célia's hands to its proper position, "When it's done, I'm going to use it to record my training sessions. So that if I do anything wrong, I can see what I did and do it right the next time."_

_"Well that's what your Master is there for," Célia said, not really seeing the purpose for such technology._

_"Yeah..." Anakin took the droid from her hands and put it on his bed, "But I like making things, it gives me something to do. It makes me feel useful."_

_"Well...you did a gonzo job! Do you have anything else that you made?"_

_"No, all of the rest of my things I had to leave at my home."_

_The talk of his old life on Tatooine caused a slight change in Anakin's attitude. Seeing this, Célia quickly changed the subject in an effort to take his mind off of the past._

_"Do you think you can teach me how to make droids?"_

_"Really? You want to learn?" Anakin asked, unsure as to whether she was serious or not. The other Jedi that he had met didn't really have as much of an interest in technology as he did._

_"Yeah, I can help you too! I'm a quick learner. I'm one of the top students in my clan." Célia spoke a mile a minute and quickly picked up the droid on Anakin's bed and handed it to him. It was the first time since Anakin had arrived at the Temple that he felt a connection with anyone his own age._

_"Okay!" He exclaimed, and sat down on the floor. Célia quickly joined him._

_"Where did you get all this stuff?" she asked, picking up a small piece of scrap metal Anakin had lying on his floor._

_"From the trash," he answered nonchalantly. Realizing that she was holding something that was from the trash, Célia quickly dropped the piece of metal on the floor; frantically wiping her hands on her pants._

_"Your Master let you go in the trash to look for scraps!"_

_"No, he doesn't know."_

_"Well doesn't he wonder where all this stuff came from?" Célia looked at him, unable to believe how Anakin was able to hide such a thing from his Master._

_"I just tell him that Master Saesee Tiin gave them to me." He gave her a sly grin. Célia just sat there in disbelief; the Chosen One lied to his master!_

_"Anakin, lying to your Master. That's not very Jedi."_

_Anakin sat there debating whether to take her seriously. Then Célia began laughing helplessly, and not long after, Anakin's laughter joined with hers._

_That had been the moment their friendship had been sealed._

Not much had changed between them in the ten years since that day. As much as they had grown in their powers, responsibilities and appearance, they still regarded eachother in the same way that they did when they were children. Célia just hoped that with Anakin's increasing potential and ultimate destiny as the Chosen One, if things would still remain the same.

* * *

"Do you think it will be finished soon?" Célia asked, handing Anakin a small gas torch. 

"I don't know...Why, where are you going?"

"No where, I was just curious. You know, I **do** have classes tomorrow," Célia said hopping down from her seat to stretch. "I just don't want to be down here all night."

"Oh!" Anakin said, sitting up. "So you made a date with someone else besides me?"

Célia looked up and began to laugh.

"That's right, Skywalker. I have to help someone else with **their **starfighter!" Anakin laughed and continued with his work. After a few moments, Célia sat back on the wing. There was an awkward silence between them before Anakin spoke again.

"You know, it's a good thing that we're getting this finished tonight," he said, his words more serious.

"Why?" Célia asked, scooting over to the cockpit.

"Master Obi-Wan and I were assigned on a mission to Ansion."

"Oh," Célia said sitting back on her side. The news was like a blow to her. Anakin had just returned from a mission to Albecus less than two weeks ago. As he got older, Anakin was being dispatched on more and more missions. This caused her time with him to become less frequent by the year.

"We'll be leaving in the morning." Célia stayed quiet for a few moments. Finally, she let out a small sigh and jumped off of the wing, picking up a wrench she saw on the floor.

"What is it?" Anakin asked, putting his tools down and looking down at her.

"Nothing, I'm...just thinking."

"About what?" He asked, climbing out of the cockpit and taking the place on the wing where she had sat.

"It's just...I wish Nha-Dek would allow me to go on more missions." Célia could feel his eyes on the back of her neck, but she couldn't force herself to turn around.

"Believe me, you're not missing much. Most of them are just diplomatic missions. Actually, they can be quite boring."

"That's not the point. I know that he has requested not to be dispatched on missions that are outside of Coruscant. I don't think he believes I'm capable enough. It's like he doubts my abilities." Celia was becoming increasingly frustrated with her master lately. She felt that her training had come to a standstill in recent months.

"Why do you think that?" Anakin asked, walking up to her and putting an arm on her shoulder.

"Just sometimes what he says or how he acts." Célia could feel the twinge of sadness burning at the back of her throat. She closed her eyes and calmed herself, willing the feeling away. When she felt composed she turned to face her friend.

"But it could just be me I guess." She tried putting on a fake smile for his benefit, even though she knew it wouldn't last. When Célia was with Anakin, she felt as if she couldn't fool him. He could see right through her, whether he wanted her to or not.

Every being and thing had its own imprint in the Force that served much like a fingerprint or an identity. To a Force sensitive, each being's imprint had a corresponding feel and color. When in close contact with anything, the feel of their presence could be felt through the force. When in meditation, a Force sensitive could also see a color associated with the being; one that was unique to his or her own imprint in the Force.

Anakin's presence within the Force, however, was unique and unlike any other Célia had ever felt. It was unusually strong and always seemed to reflect Anakin's own feelings at any given time. Instead of one sound or color, Anakin's presence seemed to be composed of many. It was a symphony of feelings that permeated through her own being whenever she was around him. But when she was with him then, only the _eyes_ came to her mind.

"I've just been feeling...not myself lately." Célia said looking into his eyes. Anakin didn't say anything in words, but urged her to continue. Célia wanted to tell him. She trusted him more than almost anyone in the Temple, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Not until she had figured _it_ out for herself.

"We should probably finish this upgrade. If you're leaving tomorrow, you won't be able to fly with a disassembled control panel!" Célia handed him the wrench that was in her hand and went back over to the ship. She had closed the subject and Anakin wasn't going to press her further. However, she had piqued his interest and both of them knew that the conversation wasn't completely over.

* * *

"Okay, I think that about does it," Anakin proudly stated from within the cockpit. He twisted the last screw into place. 

"Does it work?" Célia asked, walking over to the cockpit and leaning against it to look in.

"Only one way to find out." Anakin excitedly started up the ship and watched intently at the small circular screens in front of him. He smiled brightly when he saw the images and data flashing onto the screen.

"It works!" he exclaimed, turning the engine off and hopping out of the cockpit. Célia shared in Anakin's joy at his achievement, giving him a friendly hug.

"Well," Anakin said stretching. "I guess we should get some sleep. You have your classes tomorrow." Anakin said, winking at her.

"Yes and you have to get up early yourself."

"Yeah. You go on, I'll clean up here," Anakin said, wiping his hands on his pants. Célia nodded and smiled, walking over to give him another hug.

"Goodnight, Anakin."

"Goodnight, I'll see you again when I come back. You can help me fix the ship again!" Anakin returned her embrace. Célia just smiled and nodded before leaving the Hanger for what she hoped would be a night of calm sleep.

* * *

**Some discrepancies I had to make in this chapter for sake of the plot: Anakin did not have his own Jedi starfighter until the Clone Wars. However, he did spend time modifying his own starfighter once he got one. Also Anakin never went on the mission to Albecus, Obi-Wan went alone and made Anakin stay behind on Coruscant. Also the time period between Obi-Wan's mission to Albecus and their joint mission to Ansion is much longer than two weeks. **

**The next chapter will be up quicker than this one, since I will be settled into school soon, and will also be rooming with my beta. :)**


End file.
